For hiddlepinebatch LJ in the 1_million_words 2013 Swap of Joy.

This is intended to be movie canon compatible, though I put a spin on Asgardians and their magic which is neither comic canon nor Norse myth, and based on what I've seen from novelizations is arguably a little outside of movie canon. It's just me grooving to all the super amazing things we see in Thor: The Dark World, and doesn't represent a deviation from either films' events.

I decided to go in a new direction regarding Mjölnir's forging rather than try to manipulate comic canon or Norse myth to work with Odin's passing comment from the first film, though I did bring in some familiar names from Norse myth.

Loki had put out the light and been curled up in bed for only a handful of breathes when he heard an all-too-familiar, muffled, shuffling sound along the far wall of his bedroom. The noise stopped, and Thor's whisper cut through the palace's nighttime silence. "Loki. Are you asleep?"

He can't be serious. Loki made sure to sigh loud enough to be heard and sat up. "Not anymore," he grumbled. Thor was shoving past the heavy wall tapestry covering the hidden passage into Loki's room; he had a plain linen bag slung over one shoulder, and was still wearing his clothes from earlier that day.

"You weren't asleep," Thor said, keeping his voice low. He let the hanging fall back into place with a soft thump and dusted himself off. "If you were, I'd have startled you, and you'd have conjured something at me."

It was true, which annoyed Loki even more. He folded his arms, trying to strike a regal and affronted pose in his sleeping silks. "I could still conjure something, you know."

Thor ducked his head and brought the bag around, holding it open as though it were a peace offering. Loki craned his neck and saw an array of decorated cookies, a hefty travel flagon, and two handfuls of the colorful candies the head cook had made for the dinner guests. It all looked delicious, and he couldn't possibly turn down a second helping of dessert (especially not an illicit one).

Loki huffed and waved Thor over to the bed. His brother was terrible at diplomacy, but at least he'd sorted out bribery. Thor settled himself on the edge and gave Loki half the treats, which was a generous offer coming from him, and that was how Loki knew something was afoot.

"So. What's wrong?" Loki asked as he sipped from his drink. The flagon held sweet milk, and Thor had even thought to bring him a cup.

"Wrong? What could be wrong?" Thor sat up straighter. "Day after tomorrow I'm going to see them finish forging my focus, that's the least wrong thing possible."

Loki thought it was a pity Thor couldn't lie nearly as well as he could bribe. "You're leaving at the crack of dawn and traveling by Bifrost and then on a ship, and might even help them with the forging. What you should be doing is getting as much sleep as possible tonight and tomorrow, not stealing sweets from the kitchen for us to share." He bit a flower-shaped candy in half and savored the bitter tang. "Not that I don't appreciate it."

Thor dismissed the notion with a wave. "I don't need that much sleep."

"I think the lessonsmaster would beg to differ."

"He may beg and differ all he likes, it won't make him right." Thor took a large bite of a cookie, but Loki could see that he was on to something. He turned the remains of the jewel-colored candy between his fingers.

"How close does the Bifrost go to the Forge?"

"To the harbor on the edge of the nebula, so it will take a good part of the day to travel to the Forge and back in the ship."

They had only seen the ancient ships in books, never in person. The vessels had little use these days save for accessing places the Bifrost could not, such as the Asgardian Forges placed in close proximity to stellar cores.

Loki wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was savagely jealous that Thor would get to ride on one. As miraculous as the Bifrost was, the articulated dragonships were ancient artifacts from the time of the Allfather's ancestors, and the magic that powered them was legendary. It was rumored they were living constructs, though the dwarves who built and sailed them guarded that knowledge and refused to share it, not even with the Allfather himself.

Loki shoved his jealousy aside so he could focus on teasing an explanation out of Thor. "Are you nervous?"

Thor had finished his first cookie and taken up a second, though all he did was play with it. He was some time in answering. "A little."

Loki had expected more bluster and joking and evasions, not naked honesty. He stared at Thor, who looked up, and for a moment his brother was not a young stormbringer charging through his childhood with abandon; he was a boy taking his first faltering steps into an adult life come far earlier than anticipated.

"Father says it will be fine, but..." Loki raised his eyebrows, and Thor continued, "I've heard him arguing with Mother."

"About what?"

"Whatever it is Father and I will do at the Forge. I think."

Loki frowned. "Aren't you just there to witness the final steps and maybe swing a mallet for formality's sake?"

"I thought so at first. Now I don't know."

"What else could there be to do?"

Thor shrugged and shook his head. He ate some of his cookie and drank from the flagon, and Loki pondered. He'd been curious about all the fuss, yet it had been years since a proper focus was created, so he'd assumed that alone was worth some level of activity.

But if Mother and Father were fighting... "You're sure they're arguing about you going to the Forge?"

Thor hesitated. "I've never heard all of what they say, just bits and pieces now and then, when they think I'm not near. But it-it sounds like they're talking about me."

"What about you?"

"Mother thinks Father wants to do something too soon, and that someone isn't ready. Father disagrees, and is concerned they've waited too long."

Loki puzzled over the possibilities. Thor often thought everything was about him, but given that Loki hadn't been able to persuade anyone to reveal any concrete details about Thor and Father's trip-not even Mother, who often told him more than Father cared for-he suspected Thor might, for once, be right.

Just the same, he didn't want Thor in on his information gathering, because he was about as subtle as a molting igarajuk, so he sought to deflect him. "I'm sure it's nothing. Marriage proposals, maybe, or something else equally inane and benign."

Thor's eyes went wide and his voice dropped to a whisper. "Marriage?"

Loki shrugged. "It would just be a promising or a betrothal at this stage anyways, the marriage wouldn't happen until you were both older."

"I'm too young to be married." Thor looked close to panicking.

"See? So it's almost certainly what they're fighting about. Don't worry, mother will win on this one. Worse comes to worse, she'll just refuse to approve the proposal, and that will be that. Leave it to her."

Thor ate his cookie, as if to soothe his nerves. "Right. Of course."

"Of course."

Loki didn't think this was about betrothals, but the last thing anyone needed was apprehension preying on Thor. Nervousness tended to make his control of lightning falter, which even on a good day was (in Loki's opinion) still dodgy at best.

Now he just needed to think of a way to eavesdrop on Mother and Father.

It turned out to be easier than he'd expected. Their parents had never forbade them, in so many words, from exploring the secret passages that riddled the palace, and while Loki had shared some with Thor over the years, a great many he kept to himself for his own use. One of these lead to Frigga's personal study, where she experimented with magic, taught Loki, and researched in peace and quiet.

He'd discovered it during his lessons with her; there'd always been a cold draft coming from behind the largest bookshelf, and when his knowledge of the palace reached a certain threshold he'd gone in search of it. After several days wandering the labyrinthine routes, he'd finally found the source: a hand-span-wide crack in the study wall at the end of a cramped access tunnel that would, in future years, be too small for him to fit through.

He'd never used it to spy on his mother before; mostly, he just liked knowing it was there. He was certain she knew of it, and equally certain she knew he'd found it, and so this unspoken secret between them felt like a special treasure. The same held true for the passage into his room, which he and Thor had discovered lurking behind one of Loki's wardrobes as Thor was just coming into his strength. Frigga hadn't questioned Loki's sudden desire to put up ancient wall tapestries in the least. He felt bad now, betraying the trust of never using this passage for the more obvious purpose, but Thor's concern and his own curiosity were too much for him to ignore.

Once most of the palace was in bed for the night, he set an illusion in his room to fool any of the servants should they peak in, then crept along the dusty, web-laden paths until he found the small carving he'd placed to direct himself. Two more turns left, three to the right, down the small slope, and he was greeted by a slash of light and a warm breath of air escaping through the gap. The shelving had been moved over the years, and he was pleased to find he'd have a narrow field of view in addition to being able to hear.

Frigga was in motion more than Loki knew to be typical for her. She would get up to check one of her books, or gaze out the window at the night sky, or use the scrying glass to view something Loki couldn't make out. This went on for nearly an hour before his patience was rewarded, and the Allfather joined her.

Odin didn't often intrude on the Queen's personal study, though there was a chair Loki knew was meant solely for him. Odin would sit in it and read, or watch her work, when it suited him and she would allow it.

His presence didn't soothe her mood this night; if anything, her agitation intensified. Loki thought he could feel Odin's attention focusing on Frigga until the Allfather broke their mutual silence by saying, "You are restless."

"Are you so surprised?"

Loki couldn't see them, but their voices were all he needed to hear to imagine the effects his father's quiet irritation and his mother's anger had on their respective countenances.

"He will be fine, Frigga."

"It is too soon."

"We have spoken of this. We do not have the luxury of time, that we may wait until he comes into this aspect of his power naturally."

"So instead you would put him at risk, and force it on him now?"

"Waiting is the real risk. He might not develop full control until he is much older, perhaps even my age. The ritual will have a greater chance of success and be safer now, when he is still young."

"Safer, and yet still not safe." There was a rustling sound as Frigga moved, followed by the soft slide of leather on leather as she placed a tome, or perhaps took one out. "He has shown considerable improvement at controlling the storm itself. The rest will come soon enough."

So, they were talking about Thor, and Loki had to smother a snort; if Frigga thought Thor was controlled right now, he'd have hated to see her notion of out of control. But what was this? Something about another aspect of Thor's magic, and some ritual to tease it out?

Loki shifted and found he could see their shadows from his new angle; his mother's drifted closer to Odin's. "Why would you have him harness this before he is truly ready? You know what can come from too much power given too soon."

Odin's voice sharpened. "He will not be some wild, untamed boy with no firm hand to guide him. We will train him properly, and he will learn to control it and himself."

"Loki's control of magic is second only to my own." An edge crept into Frigga's voice, and his mother's defense of him made Loki's throat tight.

"I did not mean that you have not taught Loki well," Odin said, now sounding somewhat conciliatory, and Loki marveled that the Allfather was backing down. "Thor's magic, if ever allowed to escape control, will be far more dangerous, and have much further-reaching effects. If we would prevent this, we must bring him into it now, and train him while he is still young and malleable."

"Don't you mean controllable?"

Loki felt the Allfather's frustration redouble even from his hiding space behind the wall, and he tensed. There was no movement, no sound, nothing but the presence of his parents' disagreement sucking all the air from the room. Then it abated, and he couldn't be sure who had conceded until the Allfather said, "I trust you will not interfere with the rite."

"I know as well as you how delicate this is. I will not endanger Thor."

"Good. Will you see us off tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Frigga would be seeing Thor off, of that Loki had no doubt. They said their goodnights, and Odin quit the chamber. His mother stood in the middle of it, and Loki thought he could sense a great weariness gather up around her. Then she said, "Loki. Please come to my study."

His heart froze in his chest.

"It's alright. I am not angry with you. Please, come and speak with me."

For a single breath he entertained the notion of running back to his rooms, curling up in his bed, and lying, claiming he'd heard nothing. But Frigga deserved better from him, and he wanted to know what was going on, and these two things decided him.

He was able to reach a side-door that opened into a nearby hall without too much back-tracking in the tunnels. He slipped past the guards and into the comfortable room, and dispersed his shadowy disguise once the door was shut.

Frigga gestured at a chair next to hers by the large fireplace. Loki perched on the edge of it, unable to relax into the soft cushions, and she settled onto hers, similarly tense.

"How much of that did you hear?" she asked. His voice caught on the lie he'd begun to formulate, and she sighed. "Enough, I see."

"I'm sorry, Mother, I just wanted to know what-what they're going to do at the Forge tomorrow."

Frigga reached out and touched a polished copper pot set on the serving table in front of them, and he heard the water inside begin to hiss and boil. A full tea service for two was arrayed around it, and Loki realized this hadn't been meant for her to share with the Allfather-it was for the two of them. He shot a look to her scrying glass, which sat shrouded in one corner, and wondered.

Frigga's voice brought his attention back to her. "A stormbringer's magic is not just about weather, Loki. It is often tied to the forces of nature which drive weather. Sometimes, they may learn to control those forces directly." She poured the hot water into two generous cups which already had diffusers sitting in them, and a sweet and spicy smell rose with the steam.

Loki was used to their discussions of magic happening this way; the topic would seem to change, yet it hadn't, they'd merely turned it to regard the situation from another angle, like a complex knotwork or a precisely-cut gem. "Can Thor?"

"He is not particularly sensitive to them now. This is not uncommon, because he is young, and it can be years before a stormbringer is able to learn their nuances." Loki couldn't help his wry smile, and Frigga shared in his amusement with one of her own. "No, nuance is not your brother's strong suit." Her smile faded. "There are rituals which can be used to expose a stormbringer to these forces earlier. Then they will be able to sense them and so learn to harness them that much sooner."

"I thought compelling magic like that was dangerous."

Frigga stirred their infusers, her expression distant. "It is."

"But why would Father-" Frigga's eyes met his, and the question died on his lips. Of course; what better warrior than one who could wield the very power which drove nature itself, with a focus to direct it, and the strength of Odin's bloodline to match?

"Your brother's potential is stronger than we have seen in a stormbringer since before your grandfather's time. Your father wishes to be certain it does not go wasted and is properly handled."

"Then why are you worried?"

Her gaze fell. She let out a breath and pulled the infusers from their cups, and set to preparing their tea just as they both liked it (milk and honey for Loki, only honey for herself). She offered him his cup, which he accepted with a murmur of thanks.

After they'd had time to sip from their tea, she said, "It is my nature to worry when magic and your brother are both at issue." Loki nodded his agreement, and he thought he saw one corner of Frigga's mouth lift for a moment before she grew more somber. "And this ritual is not without its risks, though this is the safest time it may be done. He is my son, as you are-I cannot help but worry, even if the outcome has the potential to yield great rewards."

"Are they really necessary? The rewards?"

Frigga looked into her tea. Loki wondered if she could scry with it; it was said she could scry with almost any reflective surface. "Your father thinks so."

"But you don't."

Frigga gave a small laugh. "Your father and I do not agree on everything, no." She stirred her tea, then set it aside. "Loki. You must not tell your brother anything about tomorrow."

Loki jerked his head back. "What? Why not?"

"Loki, please. He must go without reservation and a willing heart. Anything less, and the ritual is certain to fail."

"Why should we let Father lead him into danger with no warning?"

Frigga's face tightened with mingled anger and pain, and Loki regretted his words on the instant. He put his cup down and reached out, resting a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Mother, I didn't mean-I didn't mean that you and Father want to hurt Thor. Only..." Her expression eased, and he felt encouraged. "All I know of magic, all you have ever taught me, says we must enter into it with open eyes. If Thor doesn't know what Father plans for tomorrow, how can he do that?"

Frigga glanced away, resignation and regret flickering in her face. "We make you grow up much too fast," she said in a soft voice, perhaps not intending to speak aloud, and Loki felt a tremor pass through him. She took a slow breath, dispelling her ominous mood, and regarded Loki again. "Thor's magic is different than yours and mine. It requires a different approach."

Loki had lost his eyebrows enough times now to believe the first part, and he knew so little of how Thor's magic worked that the second sounded reasonable. Still, disquiet gnawed at him. "It requires that he be taken by surprise?"

"Sometimes, yes." Her real response went unsaid, yet Loki heard it regardless: it wasn't required-it was what Odin thought best.

It wasn't as if he'd never lied to Thor before, nor kept countless secrets from him. This would just be another. But it was a rather significant one, and between himself and Mother, and he wondered what it might cost him in the long run.

Just the same, Loki promised her, "I will not tell him, Mother."